The Lost Planet
by midnightwolf92
Summary: Balthier and Marina are royal runaways but when they discover that Balthier's father may find a weapon capable of destroying an entire planet, the two are faced with a decision: be heroes or pirates? Story has been re-edited and re-submitted. BalthierXOC
1. Coruscant

I do not own anything except Marina and the idea.

**IMPORTANT IF YOU DONT WANT TO GET CONFUSED!!**

I use planets and terms in Star Wars but no characters.

Nethicite does not exist in this story.

And some Lord of the Rings fans may notice a name or two that was used but don't worry there are no characters from that trilogy either.

Enjoy!

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Coruscant

Ten years ago, Cidolfus, King of Endor, conquered Endor's five moons. Three of those moons were democracies. The other two were controlled by King Elessar and his brother King Anduin. Cidolfus invaded the two remaining moons with the intention of permanently killing off the royal family and anyone even remotely related to them.

Much to Cid's irritation, the youngest daughter of King Elessar escaped his grasp. And not too long after finding out the Princess had escaped, Cid discovered that she had taken his only son with her.

The former Prince and Princess fled that corner of the galaxy, changed their names, and in their opinion, took on a much more honorable job.

Piracy.

--

"Easy does it old girl", Marina said as she coaxed the airship down to settle gently in the docking bay. When it landed safely both it's co-pilot and captain sighed with relief.

"Thank the gods for moogles" Balthier said as he leaned back in his chair.

"I told you not to fly into that asteroid field", Marina muttered under her breath.

Balthier rolled his hazel eyes and calmly said, "For the ten thousandth time I didn't have a choice."

"I could've outrun them if you had just let me fly."

Balthier had to give the woman credit. She would have done well in court with the way she could hold an arguement. "Im not saying you couldn't have handled it. I just wanted to take responsibility for the mess that I got us into."

"By getting us into another one? What you mean is, your male ego was too big to admit that I could have outrun them without going through that stupid asteroid field." Her tone left no room for arguement. She stood and headed for her room to change.

Hating that she was right again, Balthier frowned and went to his own room.

Each world had it's own fashion of clothing and they always tried to be as inconspicuous as possible. So, Marina wore long, tight pants tucked snugly into her black boots and a tan shirt that fit her figure. The sleeves cut off at the shoulders and her arms were covered with open-handed gloves that matched her shirt.

Balthier dressed in one of his more simpler white lightweight shirts with loose black pants that bunched up a little at the top of his brown leather boots. He wore his gun at his side attached to a medium sized brown belt around his waist.

--

Once outside the Aerodrome they were surrounded by immensely tall buildings that seemed to touch the sky. Air speeders crowded the skies while civilians crowded the streets. The entire planet was one big metropolis.

Balthier put his hands on his hips and took in a deep breath of the city air. "Coruscant."

"Home sweet home", Marina smiled.

The city was divided into many levels. The upper levels were for people of the higher class. The lower levels were for people of all kinds. Some came down for the good food while others actually called the filth of the lower levels home.

Balthier and Marina had discovered something rather odd very quickly over the years. The lower the level, the better the food. Not long ago, while on Tantooine, they heard that an ex-pirate had opened up a restaurant called Viktor's Diner. Apparently it was becoming rather popular.

The two friends walked a few blocks down the street in silence until they reached Viktor's Diner. Once inside, a robotic waitress stopped to greet them. "Welcome to Viktor's Diner. Will you be joining us for a meal?"

Balthier curled his lip at the droid. "We're here to see Viktor" Marina told her, knowing Balthier's distaste for droids. He was convinced they were the reason why so many people were without jobs and that was the one arguement Marina would lose with him.

The waitress nodded and left to find Viktor. "This city gets more and more droids everytime we come here" Balthier muttered.

"Marina? Balthier? What are you two pirates doin' around here?" Viktor smiled as he shook Balthier's hand. "Nothing much" Balthier answered as Marina gave Viktor a quick hug. To put it simply, Viktor was short and stocky with a balding head.

"We just came to see if it was actually you who owns this place", Marina clarified.

"Yeah well", Viktor rubbed the back of his neck, "after getting released I decided to find something more constructive than pirating."

"And how is that working out for you?" Balthier asked with a grin.

Viktor shrugged his shoulders with a wide smile on his face. "A lot less profitable than pirating that's for sure." He indicated an empty booth nearby. Balthier and Marina slid into one side while Viktor sat across from them. Balthier stretched his arm out on top of the booth seat lazily and Marina crossed her arms on the table. Her medium length black hair fell in front of her shoulders and covered up her arms.

He waved a finger back and forth to indicate both of them. "So are you guys...?" He trailed off when they started to shake their heads simultaneously. Viktor knew that the two of them were a perfect match for each other and that they both had feelings for one another. But he also knew that both were too stubborn to admit it.

"So what brings you two to Coruscant?"

Balthier opened his mouth to speak but Marina, of course, beat him to it. "Balthier flew the Strahl into an asteroid field to get away from some pesky space cops."

Viktor didn't ask any farther. He could sense it was still a touchy subject. "So where are you two headed after she's fixed?"

"We're not sure yet. We might even stay here for some time" Balthier answered.

"Viktor we need you in the kitchen", a waitress called.

The three of them stood up from the booth. "Stop by sometime you two" Viktor said as he shook Balthier's hand again. "Bye Viktor" Marina smiled.

The two pirates headed out the door into the busy city. They walked a few more blocks until they reached a crowded pub. Most everyone in the room was either old or Balthier and Marina's age. Balthier found two empty bar seats and sat down. Marina plopped down next to him and asked, "So where are we off to next captain?"

Balthier flagged the tired bartender down and they ordered their drinks. "Not sure." The bartender returned with their drinks and then left them to their conversation.

"What about Java back on Tantooine? I heard he recently picked up a few rare items worth more than some planets."

Balthier shook his head. "Do you remember what happened the last time we stole from Java? You nearly became one of his slaves and I almost had to become a waiter. A waiter! Can you imagine?"

Marina tilted her head slightly to the side as she pictured Balthier in black boots and pants, a white dress shirt, and a black vest and bow tie. "Damn. You'd look sexy" she said matter-of-factly.

Balthier looked at her as if she were crazy. "I'd look sexy in almost anything."

"Oh yeah, I forgot" she teased.

They finished their drinks and ordered more. They were about halfway through with their second round when out of the blue Balthier says, "What about Cidolfus?"

Marina choked on her drink to the point where Balthier wondered if he should take her to the hospital. "Are you insane? Cidolfus? Cid? Your father? I thought you said you'd never go back to Endor."

"No I said I would never go back to my father. I never said that I wouldn't steal from him" Balthier corrected.

"Okay let's pretend for a second that Cid is not your father. Have you even considered what kind of bullshit we'd have to go through to get in? Not to mention getting out?"

"Yes and have you considered the fact that I used to be in charge of security in my father's palace? I know every way in and out of that palace without being seen with my eyes closed."

Marina considered it for a moment. This was crazy but she sighed in defeat. "You're the captain."

* * *


	2. Authors Note

**For those of you who read chapter 1 before I edited it these are the changes that happened:**

I changed Valantir's name to Cidolfus (Cid)

and hyperdrive does exist now. Lol I just couldn't do without it.


	3. Stealing From Kings

**Stealing From Kings**

The Strahl was a ship that two people could live on if they chose. The back left corner of the ship was made up entirely of bedrooms. It had one room on each side and one room in the back. The room on the right was Marina's room. The room in the back was slightly larger than all of the others and belonged to Balthier. The extra room had two bunk beds in it. The bathroom was set into a corner that you rounded to get to the kitchen.

The kitchen was small with very little counter space. And whatever sat on the counter had to be bolted down. Across from the counter was a small half-circle booth and table that seated a maximum of six people.

--

Balthier yawned as he came into the kitchen to make himself some coffee. The coffeemaker was the only appliance bolted permanently to the counter. Balthier smiled a little when he saw Marina had already made him coffee. She hated the stuff but she still took care of him and made it just the way he liked it. He poured himself a cup and ventured into the cockpit. Marina was sitting lazily in her chair.

"Is she ready?" he asked as he sat down.

She nodded. "She's all set for Endor."

"Good."

Balthier flipped the switch for the hyperdrive, waited for it to charge, and they disappeared into hyperspace.

--

It was still another eight hours before they finally reached Endor. The capital was a miniature of Coruscant but most of the rest of the planet was still covered with forest and desert.

Balthier led Marina through dark and filthy alleyways until they reached the woods that surrounded the palace. Balthier remembered walking through the woods when he was young. His past memories were as fresh as yesterday's which did not please him. They walked through the woods until they reached the side of the palace. Balthier pushed a few bush branches away and then pulled some overgrown vines off the stone wall to uncover a small door. A man would have to crawl on his hands and knees to fit through the small opening.

"This is an old escape route that was built as a quick way to get the king and as much treasure as you could carry out of the palace as quickly as possible." Balthier explained as he began to pick the lock on the wooden door. Normally he would have just shot the rusted lock right off but he didn't want to make too much noise. He knew there were guards patrolling these woods.

"So this old escape route will take us straight to the treasure room?"

The lock came loose and Balthier opened the door. "Not exactly but pretty close. Ladies first."

Marina rolled her eyes and crawled through the opening. Balthier followed behind her.

The tunnel was about fifteen feet long before they stepped out into a larger and darker tunnel. Balthier held her hand so that she didn't wander off into one of the many long dead-end tunnels on either side.

"So how come there arn't any guards down here?"

"Because Cid doesn't want anyone close to his treasure. Besides, not even his Commander General knows about this place."

Marina kept silent after that. They walked for what felt like hours before Balthier finally stopped. He reached out in front of them and opened a door that Marina had no idea was even there. "Stay here" he ordered before walking up two steps and stopping. He pushed on the roof of the tunnel until it became loose. Then he pushed the heavy marble tile aside.

Marina blinked a few times from the sudden light. Balthier hoisted himself up through the hole and then helped Marina up. She looked around the room of the palace they had just entered. It was a parlor of some kind with dark blue chairs and couches and ornate rugs that looked like they had never been touched.

Balthier left the floor panel barely open and headed across the room to another door. "So what room are we in?" Marina asked as Balthier set to work on picking another lock.

"This is the South Parlor but it's never used."

"Because it's close to the treasure?"

Balthier nodded. "That's why there are no windows."

Marina looked around and noted that he was right. All the light in the room came from magic-powered lamps.

Another thirty seconds and Marina and Balthier were headed down another dark tunnel. It didn't take long and they were standing in the entrance of a room as large as a football field that was lit by magic. Treasure covered almost every inch of the floor. It sparkled and shined with rainbows of colors.

Marina opened a chest full of gems of all kinds. She picked out the largest and most rare of all and fit them into her coin purse. "We might have to make a habit of this place" Marina smiled. Balthier just smirked as he continued to fill his own coin purse.

Once both pirates purses were filled they headed back through the tunnel. Marina was just about to open the door but Balthier grabbed her wrist. Marina gave him a confused look but then she heard the voices of Cidolfus and his generals. Luckily they had not seemed to notice the slightly opened floor panel.

"And you're sure the rumors are true?" Cid asked.

"I'm positive my lord. The weapon could destroy an entire planet."

"And where is this planet that holds this great weapon?"

"No one knows sir. A mist surrounds the planet making it undetectable to all machines. There are only a handful of people in the galaxy that know where the planet is located" Cid's Commander General, Mattis, explained.

"Well then I suggest you find those people and bring one to me Commander."

"Yes sir." Mattis bowed and left.

Cid sighed sadly. "I wish you were here son. These fools have no idea what they are doing." Cid stayed in the room for a few more minutes before finally leaving.

Balthier and Marina quickly went back down through the floor panel and out into the main tunnel. They ran and ran without a word. They crawled back through the small tunnel and headed back into the alleyways.

Once they felt far enough away from the palace they wandered out of the alleyways and into the main street of the city. "Balthier, are you okay?" Marina already knew what he was going to say but she didn't want him to think that she didn't care.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Okay but what about the other thing? Balthier we can't let your father get a hold of a weapon of that power."

"I know. Which is exactly why we are going to find it first."

Marina smiled.


	4. Viktor

**Viktor**

They returned to Coruscant to sell the loot they stole from Balthier's father. An old friend of theirs, Stephen, was a merchant in the mid-levels of Coruscant not far from Viktor's Diner. They knew that Stephen would be honest on how much each gem was worth.

As they passed by Viktor's Diner, Balthier handed his coin purse to Marina. "I'll check and see if Viktor knows anything."

Marina nodded and headed towards a taxi.

Balthier walked into Viktor's Diner and sat down at a booth table. "Welcome to Viktor's Diner. What can I get you to drink?", a male droid asked him. "I just want to see Viktor." The droid nodded and headed to the kitchen.

A few minutes passed before Viktor was sitting himself down in the opposite seat. "So what are you doing here Balthier? And without Marina? Last I knew you two were still attached at the hip."

Baltheir rolled his eyes. "You're the expert on rumors. I was wondering if you knew anything about a planet that has a mist surrounding it which allows it to be invisible even to machines."

Viktor scratched his chin in thought. "Well, my grandmother used to tell me stories of her home world. It was more advanced than any in the galaxy today. She'd tell me stories of the towns and the technologies. But then she'd tell me of how their own technology destroyed them. They had become arrogant and had overlooked the poisonous gases that seeped out of one of their machines. It caused everyone to become sick town by town until it had overtook the entire planet. Only one small village escaped the planet. My grandmother was among them."

"And where is your dear old granny now, Viktor?"

Viktor folded his hands together on the table. "Why are you so curious Balthier? Thinking of raiding this planet of a few treasures?"

Balthier got a strange gleam in his eye all of the sudden. "Let's just say I'm trying to get there before someone else does."

There was something about the way Balthier had said 'else' that made Viktor suspicious. He considered silently for a minute on what to tell Balthier before finally deciding on the truth. "She's on Tantooine. About ten miles east of Malapos Spaceport. House 211."

Balthier smiled and stood up from the table. Viktor stood up as well. Balthier shook his hand. "It's been a pleasure doing business with you, old friend." Balthier said before leaving. Viktor frowned. Something just wasn't right about that boy all of the sudden.

Balthier returned to the Strahl to wait for Marina. He entered his room and flopped down onto his bed with a sigh. He stared up at the ceiling. _"I wish you were here son. These fools have no idea what they are doing."_Balthier pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger as he tried his best to erase his father's words from his memory.

--

When Marina returned to the Strahl she found Balthier asleep on his bed. He looked like he needed the rest so Marina gently laid a blanket over his sexy form and went to the cockpit.

_"Ffamran." _Balthier jolted awake with his mother's voice still in his head. He sat up and used his blanket to wipe the sweat off his face. He realized that Marina must have come back since he clearly did not remember laying down with a blanket. He came into the cockpit and sat down.

"I did a diagnosis check on all of the engines just in case and they are all in good condition. We have full power. All I need are coordinates." Marina informed the half awake captain.

"Set courses for Tantooine. We're headed to the Malapos Spaceport."

Marina nodded and quickly punched in the coordinates for Tantooine's Malapos Spaceport.

Balthier flew the Strahl out of the Aerodrome as he waited for the navicomputer to program the quickest and safest route into the computer. It only took a minute for the navicomputer to finish and they were headed off to Tantooine.


	5. Riddles

**Riddles**

"I hate Malapos Spaceport" Balthier muttered as Marina set the Strahl down into a docking bay. "I feel like if I turn my back for one second my ship will be gone."

"Do you want me to go and you stay here with the ship then?" Marina offered.

Balthier thought on it for a moment then nodded. "I'll run a few more diagnostics to make sure everything is in good shape."

Marina nodded and flipped the switch to lower the loading ramp. Balthier stood up and looked down at her. "What?" she asked curiously. "Stay here for a second" he told her.

Then he walked into his room and pulled out a handheld gun from under his pillow. He found a holster that fit it in his closet and then he returned to the cockpit. She had stood up from her chair but otherwise had not moved. Balthier handed her the gun. "Take this with you and be careful. House 211."

Marina smiled a little. "I'll be fine." She kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Don't worry."

Once she was gone Balthier set to work on checking to make sure that nothing in the hyperdrive was getting too worn out.

--

Meanwhile, Marina hailed a taxi to take her to house 211. She paid the driver to wait for her before she knocked on the door. A tall, aged woman with high cheekbones and long white hair answered the door. "Yes?"

Marina smiled kindly. "I'm a friend of Viktor's and I was wondering if you could tell me a little bit more about one of the stories you used to tell him." Balthier had filled her in on everything Viktor had said about the planet.

The old woman nodded and moved out of the way so that Marina could enter. The small living room was decorated very simply. It had one rocking chair, which the woman sat down in, and one small couch. She indicated for Marina to sit down on the couch. Marina did so. "Now what story may I interest you in?" the grandmother asked.

"My friend tells me that you come from a planet that is impossible to detect even with machines."

The old woman stiffened and leaned back in her chair with a serious look on her face. "And what interests you about this planet?"

"We have learned that a man of great power is seeking out a weapon found on your home planet. A weapon of mass destruction. We want to find it first and destroy it."

The old woman frowned. "And how am I supposed to know that you do not want this weapon for yourself? You are a pirate are you not?"

Well the woman certainly hadn't lost her wits with her youth. Marina stared into her eyes. "You're just going to have to choose who you want to trust."

The old woman stared back at Marina for a long time. Then she said,

"In the temple of Naboo it hides it's true form,

Until the worthy come it shall appear norm.

Placed in their circles the four stones that glow,

Fire, water, earth, and wind,

They will unlock the secret you wish to know."

Then she reached into a pocket in the folds of her old worn coat and pulled out a polished silver key. She handed it to Marina.

"Thank you." Marina bowed. The grandmother nodded and Marina left her in peace.

--

Balthier had just finished replacing a few old circuits in the deflector shield generator when Marina returned. "Did you find her?" he asked.

Marina nodded then grabbed his hand and drug him into the cockpit. Then she let go of him and sat down in her chair. "You have a riddle to solve."

Balthier sat down and listened carefully as Marina recited the riddle.

"In the temple of Naboo it hides it's true form,

Until the worthy come it shall appear norm.

Placed in their circles the four stones that glow,

Fire, water, earth, and wind,

They will unlock the secret you wish to know."

Balthier sighed in thought as he leaned back. "Each stone is a key of some sort and each one represents one of the four basic elements. It would make sense if the key was found on a planet that represented the element that the key corresponded to. For instance, the fire key would be found most likely on Mustafar and the water key on Kimino."

Marina nodded in understanding. "And what about the rest of it?"

"I believe we're supposed to find all four element stones first and then find this temple on Naboo. There must be something on Naboo that is important but first we'll worry about the 'stones that glow'."

"She gave me a key too. But I guess we'll know when to use it when it's time to unlock something."

Balthier nodded. "For now, set courses for Mustafar." As Marina punched the courses into the computer, Balthier charged up the hyperdrive.

"Courses are set. Hyperdrive is fully charged. Navicomputer has routed our course. We're ready to fly when you are captain" Marina reported.

Balthier nodded once and flew the ship into hyperspace.

--

The Strahl was equipped with a Series 401 hyperdrive motivator that adjusted the performance of the engine while the ship was in hyperspace and made sure the engine was ready to return to normal space when the pilot was.

The navicomputer in the ship calculated a course for the ship to follow while in hyperspace. The navicomputer calculates the quickest route to the ship's destination without allowing the Strahl to run into other ships, stars, asteroids, or anything of that nature. And like most pirate ships, the navicomputer in the Strahl was voice-printed in order to hide where the ship has been.

Balthier and Marina had done some heavy modifications on the ship's shields and weapons. Especially the shields.

The original deflector shield generator was replaced by a stolen stasis-type shield generator. This way the shield was about four times stronger than before. Other modifications having to do with how quickly the shield charged, and how well it stood up to different temperatures were also made.

The Strahl had one unique weapon as well that most ships in the entire galaxy did not even know about. Even though it was very old school, the lightning gun on the Strahl was quite powerful. Balthier and Marina had stolen the parts and built it specially for the Strahl.

These modifications, among others, allowed the Strahl to be one of the fastest ships in the galaxy and it's owners had proven that case in more than one instance. If it wasn't outrunning another ship, it was a race for money. In more than one situation, the Strahl had proven herself to be a fast and reliable vessel. It was the perfect ship for a couple of sky pirates.


	6. Mustafar

**Mustafar**

That helmet. That helmet has seemed so evil when she had first seen it. But when he showed her the young man underneath she was captivated. He was perfect then. And now...he was beyond perfect. Marina sighed as those thoughts swam through her mind. She was in her room laying down on her back.

But they had to be close to Mustafar by now. She stood and walked to the cockpit. Their E.M.T. was only two minutes. "I better get Balthier" she sighed. She went to Balthier's room where he was asleep on his bed. Marina walked over to him and frowned. He was sweating again. She put a hand on his forehead. Balthier's eyes shot open. "You okay?"

Balthier sat up and used his sleeve to wipe the sweat off of his face. He nodded. "I'm fine."

"Well we've arrived at Mustafar if you're ready." Marina followed Balthier back to the cockpit and ran a scan of the planet. "How the hell are we supposed to find it?"

"Well there's only three masses of land on the planet and none of them are very large."

"Where's the smallest one?"

"Two miles east."

Balthier nodded and turned the Strahl. He landed them carefully down onto the small mass of dried lava. It only took them an hour to thoroughly search the small area. They found nothing. Marina told Balthier how to get to the next largest land mass.

They had been searching for almost three hours before they spotted a rather large hole in the ground. Marina picked up a small piece of hardened lava and dropped it down the hole. It was about two seconds before the rock hit bottom.

"It doesn't sound that far. Do you want to go back and get rope?" Marina asked. All they had brought were flashlights. Balthier shook his head. "I should be able to lift you up high enough to get out." Marina nodded and went to jump down but Balthier's arm stopped her. "I'll go first" he told her.

Balthier jumped down into the dark hole and flipped on his flashlight. A long tunnel was in front of him and nothing was behind him. He moved out of the way so that Marina could jump down. "Ready!" he called. She jumped down and turned her flashlight on too. Balthier looked at her and held his arm out. "Up for a walk my dear?" he grinned. Marina smiled and hooked her arm with his. "Why certainly."

It was another twenty minutes before the tunnel veered sharply to the right. They entered a room where a ball shaped stone sat on top of a short stone pedestal. Around the stone you could see it a faint red glow. It was a dark red like blood in the middle and it grew to be a lighter red closer to the outside.

Balthier picked it up gently in his palm. It weighed no heavier than a piece of paper. "Lets go" Marina said. Balthier nodded as he stared at the key.

Balthier held onto the key as they walked back but when they reached the hole to get out he handed it over to Marina. He grabbed onto her waist and hoisted her up enough so that she could get her knee over the edge. Marina liked the feeling of his hands on her waist but it was all over too soon and they were already sitting back down in their chairs on the Strahl.

"So Kimino is our next stop?" Marina asked as Balthier flew the ship out of Mustafar's atmosphere. Balthier nodded but Marina frowned. "Balthier what is going on? You haven't been yourself ever since we heard your father say that he was going after that weapon. Whats wrong?"

"I'm fine I just haven't been feeling well lately. It'll pass in a week or so." Marina frowned but said nothing more about it.

* * *

**I promise the next chapter will be longer! Thanks for reading!**


	7. Kamino

**Kamino**

Mustafar and Kamino were planets beyond the Outer Rim. But Kamino was only a four hour ride from Mustafar in hyperspace. Kamino was a planet with no natural land anywhere. The entire planet was one big ocean. However, when the Kaminoins first arrived on this planet they built a city large enough to house all of their people and it's growing population. The city was designed to hover above water and withstand against the strong winds and waves made by storms. The city's exterior walls and windows were built to be able to withstand erosion from the salt as well.

When the Strahl arrived a heavy storm had covered almost the entire planet. Many times a storm will last days or even weeks on Kamino. Balthier landed the Strahl with some difficulty but they were safely on the ground. The rain was thick and the black waves were large and rough.

Balthier and Marina put cloaks on and pulled their hoods up over their heads. Marina lowered the loading ramp and they ran as fast as they could to the automatic doors of the city. They lowered their hoods as all of the Kaminoins in the room turned to look at them curiously.They rarely ever had visitors. Many people did not even know this planet existed and the Kaminoins liked it that way.

Balthier had started to wring the water out of his sleeve cuffs when Marina elbowed him. Balthier looked up to see the tall prime minister looking down at him.

Like all Kaminoins, the prime minister had a long and thin body. Even their necks were exceptionally long. Their heads were slightly smaller than that of an average sized man and it was shaped something like Earth's traditional drawing of an alien head. They had large black eyes that somehow could look kind and they walked with a strange gait yet they still appeared graceful. Their skin was slightly rough and it was a light blue color.

"Balthier. Marina. What in the gods names are you doing here?" he asked kindly. "We just decided to go for a little swim" Balthier grinned. The prime minister understood and nodded. "This way." He led them down a few short hallways to his private chambers. "Please sit."

Marina sat but Balthier remained standing. The prime minister paid no mind. "So what are you two seeking this time?"

Marina answered. "We're looking for a clear stone that's in the shape of a ball. It probably radiates a faint blue color and we are certain that it is in your oceans."

The prime minister thought for a moment, then stood. He walked over to an organized shelf of scrolls and pulled down one. He laid it out flat on his desk. It was a map of Kamino's city and some of the ocean surrounding it. He placed his finger on a blue dot on the map. "This is the Blue Cave. It has a faint glow of blue light coming from inside. My people and I have never explored it before. We are too superstitious. What you are looking for may be inside. I will provide you with a ship and coordinates."

The two pirates thanked the prime minister as he led them out of his private chambers. He took them down to the very lowest level of the city where a ship awaited. Both of it's wings had what looked like a clear glass bubble on the end. These were made for divers. Since the Kaminoins were strong and fast swimmers that could hold their breath for hours at a time, there was no diving gear. However, the ship's design allowed the diver to ride on the back of the ship where breathing respirators were installed.

Marina walked over to one of the bubbles and retracted the opening. She climbed in as Balthier and the prime minister entered the main ship. The prime minister entered the coordinates and left. Once everything was ready Balthier dove the ship into the ocean's rough currents. Once they got deeper below the surface the current's strength lessened. He set the ship down onto the ocean floor. This area was on a shelf of land so it wasn't deep enough to crush Marina.

Balthier looked through the side of his window at Marina. The water that had been seeping into the bottom of the bubble had reached up to Marina's neck. Balthier would never admit it but he was worried about her. _'Maybe that's my problem. I can't admit it.'_Marina nodded and Balthier retracted the lid to her bubble. She swam out of the top without a problem. Balthier wasn't sure how to express his feelings towards his partner. Should he finally confess to her or should he continue to ignore it?

Meanwhile, Marina could see the stone through a large crack in the wall. She reached her arm through and grabbed a hold of the stone. It was half buried in the sand so she had to pull hard to get it out. When the stone came loose, Marina floated up a few inches and hit her head on the roof of the cave. Marina ignored it and tied the stone securely in her coin purse. She was running out of air quickly. She could feel her chest tightening each time she kicked her legs. When she made it outside the mouth of the cave she felt light headed. Red and black dots clouded her vision. She stopped swimming to try to see better.

Balthier began to panic. He pressed the red emergency button to open all of the vents. It only took about thirty seconds and the small ship was full of water. He took in his last breath and opened the top hatch. Balthier swam quickly over to Marina and wrapped an arm around her waist. He hoped that the prime minister would forgive him for abandoning the ship. He swam as fast and as hard as he could even though the surface never seemed to get any closer. When he felt he couldn't kick on more time without taking in a breath, his head broke the surface of the water. His chest hurt as his lungs desperately filled with oxygen.

An emergency airship had been dispatched the moment Balthier had pushed that red button. Luckily they weren't far from the city so the airship was already searching the water for them. Once the airship found them among the violent waves, they lowered a rope ladder. Balthier grabbed the end of it and they started to reel it up as they flew back towards the city. The nurses inside the open airship did CPR on Marina but with no success. Balthier held her tightly against his chest praying that she could be saved once they got her to the city.


	8. Becoming More

**Becoming More**

Marina was lying asleep in a hospital bed. She had been breathing on her own for a few hours now. Balthier was half asleep in a chair next to her. She cracked her eyes open and scanned her surroundings. The sleeping Balthier, the dull lights, the comfortable pillow.

Balthier sighed and opened his eyes, giving up on sleep. "Marina. How long have you been awake?"

"Just a few minutes."

Balthier scooted up closer to her. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine. Like any other morning."

Balthier smiled at her. "Marina I -" Balthier couldn't say it so he kissed her instead.

It took a moment for Marina to get over the shock but once she did she buried her fingers in his hair and kissed him back. When they needed breath they pulled away and Balthier climbed into bed beside her and laid his head on her shoulder. Marina smiled and closed her eyes to sleep. They both knew how the other felt so there was no need for words.

The next morning they thanked the Prime Minister and he welcomed them back again. On board the Strahl, the two pirates puzzled over which planet to find the earth key on. They had narrowed it down to Endor IV and Endor V, Naboo, and Andor.

"I think we can cross out Endor IV and Endor V because technically they are moons" Marina said after a few silent minutes.

"So? The riddle never said that the stones had to be found on a planet."

"True. But let's try Andor first", she said as she began to set their coordinates and charge the hyperdrive.

"Why Andor?" Balthier asked curiously.

"Because I don't think it would be on Naboo since we're supposed to find a temple on Naboo."

Balthier nodded in understanding as Marina got up from her seat and searched through their stocks. She searched for stuff that would be useful to them in the jungle. "If this earth key hasn't been found yet on a highly populated planet then it must be in a part of the forests that the people fear to travel in", Balthier said from the front.

"We've got some rope, a bow and some arrows, a couple grapling hooks, flashlights, matches, and a roll of good old fashioned dynamite sticks", she threw the objects onto the floor over her shoulder as she listed them off.

"That should be enough", Balthier said as he stood up from the captain's seat. "I'll pack the provisions, you take care of all this", he indicated to the pile of supplies scattered all over his floor. Marina grabbed a bag out of the closet and began packing the stuff inside. Balthier went to the kitchen and packed some bottled water and a few preserved foods.

Later that night Marina tossed and turned in her bed as she dreamed of her home world being conquered. The invasion came so suddenly that no one had time to prepare. All of those soldiers wearing dark armor and their leaders with helmets that made them seem as though they were the devil's henchmen, had thrown the whole planet into a sea of terror. But Balthier showed her the way out of the fear that fought desperately to control her every action. He taught her the weaknesses in their armor and their usual battle tactics. But no matter how many she killed they just kept coming.

She awoke with a start. Marina got out of bed and went to Balthier's room and climbed into his bed. Balthier turned over onto his side and wrapped an arm around her so that she knew she wasn't alone.

By the next morning they had reached Andor. Balthier sat down at the table and waited for Marina to make coffee. "Balthier it's not working. There's no power."

Balthier groaned. "The circuit must have finally died. That damn thing is so old Im surprised it lasted this long." He stood and left to take a shower. Marina joined him.

--

"There's a small forest called Black Death Forest. The natives ancestors had apparently carved a path into the forest that led to a small town they had built. But not long afterward everyone in the town just disappeared. Searches were made to find them but anyone who ever went into the forest never returned. Sounds like your classic horror story." She said as she looked at Balthier. Despite her sarcastic comment, Balthier could see the worry in her eyes.

"Don't worry Im sure whatever killed them is long gone by now."

Marina nodded. "Drop me off in the forest and I'll get the stone while you fly the ship to a city and get the circuit in the kitchen fixed."

Balthier shook his head. "I'll get the stone. That way while you're in the city you can get whatever food you think we need."

Marina frowned. She hadn't liked the way Balthier had stared at the fire key when they had first discovered it. But she didn't argue with him.

Balthier landed the ship in a clearing in the middle of Black Death Forest. He took the backpack with supplies in it. Marina kissed him lightly on the lips. "Be careful." Balthier smiled a little and started down on the path leading to the deserted town.

Marina closed the loading ramp and flew the ship to the nearest city. She asked the moogles to replace the circuit in the kitchen and to do a full scan of the ship while she went grocery shopping. The moogles were happy to help as always.

Meanwhile, Balthier came upon the small, deserted town.

* * *

Sorry for taking so long with the update but with school shopping and school starting things got hectic. Thanks for being patient!


	9. The Earth Key

**The Earth Key**

The homes were made of large bricks and wood for roofs and were not very big. They had driveways made of concrete and the road Balthier walked upon had two faded yellow lines that ran directly along it's middle all the way up to a church in the center of the town. It towered above every other building even though it wasn't much larger than any of them.

Balthier walked into the church and almost choked on the dust inside it. An old Bible still sat closed on the podium that was set front and center. He found an area that was roped off and descended the stairs. At the foot of the stairs laid the twisted form of a skeleton. Probably some poor thief that tripped on the stairs and broken his neck. Or was pushed.

That thought made Balthier shiver as he headed past the heap of bones and headed down the dark cold tunnel. It led Balthier to another staircase that took him even deeper beneath the church. Not long after reaching the bottom of the staircase, a faint green glow began to appear. 'Well they sure didn't make it difficult to find' Balthier thought. That seemed rather odd since the stone was a treasure.

Balthier came into the room where the stone sat on a pedestal. But the stone was not what caught Balthier's attention at first. It was the walls. They were decorated with elabore paintings. The paintings showed people finding the stone and then taking it to the priest. The priest was pointing towards a picture of the church and the stone beneath it. "They feared it's power" Balthier muttered.

He looked down at the stone and felt mesmerized by it's flowing shades of green. He suddenly felt angry at the ones who had imprisoned it down here and realized that it must have been the stone taking it's revenge on the people that had made everyone disappear. But it hadn't made him disappear. He picked it up gently in his hands and ran his thumb gently across it's smooth surface before putting it into his coin purse.

--

Meanwhile, Marina returned with some more preserved foods, some cooking oil, and a few more things to drink. She packed it all into it's place and checked with the moogles to see if the circuit to the kitchen's power was replaced. They assured her it was and that the rest of the Strahl was fine. She paid them their fee plus some. Moogles were hard working and kind creatures.

Marina flew the ship to the same clearing where she had dropped Balthier off. As she was landing the ship she could see Balthier coming through the trees. She met him at the loading ramp with a hug and a kiss. "Only one left" she said as she closed the ramp.

Balthier nodded and sat down in his chair. "The wind key. But the only problem is, there isn't a planet completely made of wind" Balthier pointed out.

Marina sighed. "Knowing my luck it would be somewhere we've already been."

That phrase put Balthier's mind into motion. He sat up in his chair and began charging the hyperdrive. "Tantooine."

Marina thought about it as she set their course. Tantooine was constantly having sand storms because of all the strange wind coming out of Windmakers cave. Balthier reluctantly handed Marina the earth key so that she could put it with it's brothers in her room. Soon they would have the wind key and beat Cid to his target.

* * *

I decided to put this up today too to make up for me taking so long. )


	10. Something to Report

**Something to Report**

It would take them five hours to return back to Tantooine. They considered this a vacation. And even though they spent a lot of their time in bed they had fun. Marina did some research on Windmakers Cave as they neared Tantooine.

A few centuries ago an idiotic genius wanted to make wind power so he built a machine to create wind. It was built inside a cave to keep Tantooine's blazing suns from damaging it and to make the genius' most prized possession difficult to get to. But the idiotic genius didn't think to protect the machine's computer from the sands that Tantooine was so famous for. Therefore, the computer became disfunctional and now the machine was what now caused the planet's fierce sandstorms.

Marina gave the coordinates to Balthier as they entered Tantooine's atmosphere. He landed them about 100 yards away from the cave. The entrance was to their right. Marina grabbed her bag of supplies from the floor. She went to sling it over her shoulder but Balthier put his hand over hers before she could. She looked at him curiously. Balthier smiled a little and said "Let me take that my dear." Marina rolled her eyes and let him take it. He slung it onto his back and lowered the loading ramp.

They wrapped cloth around their mouths to let them breath air rather than sand. Cautiously they walked into the cave. The wind blew furiously against them but they pushed on. They soon became forced to clutch the cave wall to keep from being blown backwards. They walked slowly, clutching the cave wall for almost half of an hour before they came upon the machine. As soon as they passed it the wind stopped blowing against them. But there was nothing except the back of the cave.

They rested for a few minutes to catch their breath. Their muscles were tired and aching. Marina looked at Balthier. "Maybe we were wrong." But something had caught Balthier's attention.

He walked towards the wall and brushed some sand off of what appeared to be a handle. He grasped the handle and pulled with all of his strength but it did no good. He stepped back and sighed. He pulled his gun out and shot a circle around the handle. Much of the sand and stone had loosened and fallen away. A small treasure chest was stuck in the wall. This time when Balthier pulled the chest came free. Marina pulled the old woman's silver key out of her coin purse and handed it to Balthier. He put the key into the keyhole and turned it slowly. He looked up at Marina. She knelt down beside him. Then Balthier cautiously opened the lid. The wind key glowed with a golden light that matched the sands of Tantooine. Balthier gently picked it up and handed it to Marina who put it in her coin purse along with the key.

They started back down the tunnel of the cave, not letting go of the wall until they were safely out. The way out was easier since the wind was pushing them but it was still difficult to keep their footing. When they reached the Strahl they practically fell into their chairs in the cockpit. Their legs were so tired and heavy. But they had to keep moving if they didn't want Cid to find them. They rested for only a few minutes before Balthier started up the Strahl's engines.

"Now we are off to Naboo", Marina said as she gave the navicomputer their destination.

"But which temple are we looking for? Naboo has hundreds of temples", Balthier said as he leaned back in his chair.

"Well hopefully my hunch is right and we are looking for The Temple of Naboo. It's where coronations used to be held. Last I knew it was no longer open to the public so your lock picking skills will come in handy."

Balthier nodded.

--

"It's been nearly a month general, and you still have given me no good news" Cidolfus sighed in irritation.

Mattis bowed his head. "I am deeply sorry my king but we are doing everything we can."

Cidolfus sighed, unimpressed. "If only my son were here. He was brilliant. He would have found a way to bring those people to me." The general frowned but dared not point out that Ffamran, or Balthier as he was now called, betrayed him. "Keep looking general. Report back to me when you have something to report." General Mattis bowed and left the King's office.

--

"So where is this temple of ours" Balthier asked as he looked around the main street of the capital. Marina pointed ahead of them. "Further north then a little east." They walked through the crowded main street occasionally stopping at a shop to see what they had.

As they began to turn east they shared a large cinnamon roll for breakfast. It had taken them twelve hours to get to Naboo and another to get to the temple. Balthier was almost confused as to why they called it a temple. It was just a large two story rectangular building with a huge bell tower on the roof and massive columns at the entrance.

There was no one in the area so Balthier was able to pick the lock without being noticed. The inside reminded Balthier of a tomb for royalty. Statues of Naboo's long line of Queens lined both walls along with colorful tapestries depicting coronation days of long ago.

Balthier and Marina began searching for anything that could lead them underground. Marina noticed a tapestry that seemed out of place amongst the rest. Her eyes widened when she realized what it was of. "Balthier look at this", she said pointing to the tapestry.

Balthier came over and immediately understood. The tapestry depicted the four planets they had traveled to to get the stones. Mustafar, Kimino, Andor, and Tantooine. They searched frantically for switches or loose stones. "Marina let me see that key."

Marina dug in her coin purse and pulled out the key from among the stones and handed it to him. Balthier stuck it into what seemed to be a keyhole in the back of a statue and turned it. A door opened up in the stone wall behind them, it's lack of use spreading dust everywhere. Balthier handed the key back to Marina with that devilish smirk that made her shiver.

--

"Come in", Cid called from his desk. Mattis entered the room and bowed. "My king, we have yet to become successful with our quest. However, I have just received news that your son has been spotted on Naboo. I wonder if your majesty would like us to bring him before you."

Cid thought for a moment. "Too long has my son eluded us and shunned away from his destiny. But no more. Bring him before me."

"And what of the girl my lord?"

Cidolfus rubbed his chin in thought. "Bring her too. She may prove useful in convincing my son to stay and take up my throne when I am gone."

General Mattis bowed and left Cid to his thoughts.


	11. Reunion

**Reunion**

The staircase leading beneath Naboo's old coronation temple was short but covered with all sorts of insects that Marina didn't even know existed. Of course Balthier just crunched his way down the stairs. Marina was surprised he wasn't as worried about keeping his shoes clean as he was his shirt. She tip toed her way down the stairs wincing every time she heard a crunch under her foot.

At the bottom of the staircase, the insect population began to scatter and decrease. They were in an empty room barely large enough to fit the Strahl inside without scratching her. There was nothing but torches lining the bare, cold stone walls.

Marina spoke to Balthier as she eyed the torches warily. "How do you suppose those torches stay lit?"

Balthier shrugged. "We're in the presence of powers we could probably never understand."

Marina nodded in understanding and they continued towards the only decoration and color in the room. It was a large statue of Naboo's first queen made purely of gold with rubies for eyes and a crown adorned with sparkling saphires and emeralds. In the present time, those stones were worth hardly anything. But in the days when the statue had been made, those jewels had been treasures that only royalty could afford. Her hands were brought together onto her lap holding a plain silver box with a key hole.

Marina took the silver key out and placed it in the keyhole. She turned it cautiously until a click echoed off the stone walls. Suddenly a bright blue laser-like light shot out from the keyhole and stretched across the room until it hit the opposite wall. Then it split into two. One rose up to the ceiling and the other lowered to the floor. A three dimensional map appeared between the laser lines. It was a map of the entire galaxy.

Balthier reached out to touch a planet but found his hand went right through it. Marina looked around trying to get her bearings. "Balthier." He turned to look at her. She pointed to a planet near her. "Stand there."

He walked over to the specific planet. "What for?" he asked.

"You're my marker for where we are. That's Naboo." Balthier looked at the planet then back at Marina with a bored expression. "Well I'm glad to be such a use to you dear" he said sarcastically.

Marina ignored him and walked through the map looking for a planet she didn't recognize. She found it near the entrance of the room. It was isolated beyond the Outer Rim much like Kamino. In fact, Kamino was the closest planet to it. She looked back at Balthier. "That's a long trip" she sighed. Balthier nodded. "Come this way and count your feet" she instructed. "Sixty-five feet" he told her when he reached her. She nodded and quickly did the calculations in her head for their coordinates.

When she was done she went back over to the box and took the key out. The moment the key was out the map disappeared. She tucked it away in her coin purse and they headed back up the insect covered staircase.

"Hold it right there Ffamran."

Balthier rolled his eyes and Marina made an irritated sigh. There were about thirty Endorian soldiers surrounding the opening to the underground chamber. Mattis was the one who had spoken. "Did you really think you could elude us forever? We've had tabs on you for years", the general boasted.

"It's too bad you couldn't wait a few more months. I would have come to you" Balthier said, keeping his cool.

Mattis frowned. "You would have come to us with the weapon from the invisible planet."

"Clever. How ever did you guess?" Sarcasm dripped in Balthier's voice.

A slight rage flickered in the general's eyes. "Alright that's enough of this nonsense. Take them." The soldiers moved in and cuffed the pirates.

Marina glanced at Balthier. His usual neutral expression was present but she wondered what he was thinking. 'It's been ten years since he's had any contact with his father and now they're not meeting under the best circumstances. Cid will probably try to get Balthier to join him again in exchange for something. But Balthier is clever so I'll just have to trust him.'

--

General Mattis bowed before Cidolfus. "My king, I have brought your son and the girl. We searched the hidden room they discovered but found nothing but an old statue."

"Whatever there was to discover in that chamber my son can tell me. Send them in."

The general bowed. "Yes, my lord." Mattis opened the doors to the office and Balthier and Marina were led inside surrounded by guards.

Cid stood to greet his newly arrived 'guests'. "Ffamran my son! It has been too long." Cid looked over at Marina and eyed her curiously. He walked a full circle around her like some sort of vulture and stopped in front of her. "You seem familiar, have we met before? Or perhaps I've met a relative?"

Marina raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps."

Cidolfus frowned a little but knew that she was set on being vague. He moved to the side and stood in front of his son. 'They look so much alike. They even sound the same when they speak. It's like having two Balthiers in the room at once. It's making my head spin.'

"So tell me son. How have you been these last ten years?" There was no bitterness in Cid's voice when he spoke.

Balthier shifted his weight. "Can we skip the diplomatics and get straight to the negotiating?" He sounded only the slightest bit annoyed but Marina was surprised even by that. He was hard to annoy. Maybe he was just faking it.

Cid smirked.

Marina had to refrain from rolling her eyes. 'So that's where he gets it.'

"Straight to the point as usual. You and your mother were always like that."

Balthier's glare would have stilled a blood thirsty grizzly bear. "You don't know anything about my mother." His tone held nothing but venomous hatred for his father.

Marina had never seen him like that and for the first time since they had met, he scared her. She wouldn't have thought it possible but Cid met his glare with one just as frightening. Marina had to check herself so she didn't cringe.

A moment of silence ensued that seemed to last forever. Cid's tone was barely controlled when he ordered the guards to take Marina away and to leave him alone with his son.

Marina was led out a back door of the palace to a smaller one story building. It wouldn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what was in there. Cells. Surprisingly enough, they were all empty and clean. Then again Cid seemed less like the type to torture someone for information and more like the type to just kill them right away. She wondered as she sat down in the corner of the cell, what kind of negotiations were going on back in Cid's office.

--

As the door of the office closed behind Marina and the guards, Cid sighed. "Well now that she's gone, lets get these cuffs off of you." He reached over to his desk and picked up a key. He unlocked Balthier's cuffs and walked over behind his desk. A map covered the top of the desk. "So where is it?"

Balthier looked down at the map and rolled his eyes. "If you didn't want something to ever be found...", he searched the shelves set against the wall quickly. Scrolls were stacked on top of each other with name tags attached to the end of them. He took one down and spread it over top of the other map. It was a map of the Outer Rim. "..you'd put it in a place where no one ever travels." Balthier pointed to an empty spot on the map just outside the Outer Rim. The location of the lost planet.

Cid looked down at the map and smiled. "Good job, my son. You've made me proud."

* * *

Dun Dun Dun Dunnnnn. Er however you would type that dramatic music. Lol.


	12. The Lost Planet

**The Lost Planet**

It was sunset on Endor when a guard brought Marina a plate of food. She was surprised at what was on the plate. Steak, mashed potatoes and bread. She tried the steak and it wasn't half bad and it was warm. However, she was left without anything to drink. Marina fell asleep wondering what had happened to Balthier.

--

After showing his father the location of the lost planet, Balthier was sent to his childhood room. It was exactly as he had left it ten years ago. He was somewhat surprised his father hadn't ordered everything in it destroyed. Finding himself not hungry, Balthier laid down on his bed and stared up at the ceiling.

--

_A young Ffamran sat down by his mother's bed. She smiled fondly and touched his cheek. "My boy. I shall miss you. I have to go away now and I won't be coming back."_

_"Take me with you mother", he begged._

_She smiled and shook her head. "I can't." Tears began to fill her eyes. "I need you to be strong for me Ffamran. I need you to bring your father back. I know he's different now but I believe you can do it. I've tried to bring him back for so long that my heart is tired. It can't handle this any longer. But I want you to know I love you and that this is not your fault. Do you understand?"_

_Tears stained Ffamran's cheeks as he nodded. He reached over and hugged her neck. At that moment a guard entered the room but he stayed silently by the door. _

_"I love you so much", she said as she hugged him back._

_"I don't want you to go. Please stay. Why do you have to go?"_

_She smiled gently. "Everything has an end sweetie. I love you. I will see you again someday. I promise." And the Queen of Endor closed her eyes and fell asleep never to wake up again._

_The guard came over and pulled the young boy away from his mother. He screamed, kicked and pulled but it was no use. She was gone._

--

Balthier awoke with a start as someone knocked on his door. He opened the door. "What?", he asked the soldier.

"I'm here to escort you to the ship."

Balthier followed the guard but his mind was on his dream. His mother's death had crushed him but he never saw it phase his father. His father hadn't even been on Endor when she died. And when Ffamran watched a guard break the news to him after his return, Ffamran became angry at his father for not even appearing sad.

And he had never stopped being angry with him. The only difference now was that anger had turned to hate. There had been no one there to comfort him after her death and it was only after he became a teenager did he realize what his mother had been talking about. But he felt that there was no hope for his father and that's when he decided to flee.

But just three years ago his father had contacted him while they were on Alderon. Cid had wanted to make amends. Balthier had refused at first but the boy who had always wanted a father resurfaced long enough to listen to what Cid had to say. Balthier had listened to his story but he refused to accept it. Hating his father was all he had ever really known. And then just two days after he and Marina had overheard Cid and General Mattis talking about the weapon, Cid contacted Balthier again.

"Where have you been?", Marina muttered in his ear.

He hadn't noticed her board the ship but he pretended as if he had. "I'll tell you later" he muttered back.

They were seated on a couch with Cid sitting across from them in a chair. It would take almost two weeks to get there so they were provided with a room and Marina's handcuffs were taken off.

--

"You convinced my son to abandon me didn't you? Princess" Cid said from behind her. She was in the hallway headed for her and Balthier's room.

Marina's eyes widened slightly as she realized Cid had figured out who she was. But she quickly recovered herself. "You abandoned him before he abandoned you."

Cid grabbed her arm tightly and whirled her around to face him. "You don't know anything. Why did you take him away from me?"

"Take him away from you? You chased him away. He loved his mother. More than you did. And he hated you for what you did to her."

Cid shook her slightly. "So he thinks I killed her does he?"

"You did kill her. Her heart couldn't take seeing you obsessed with bloodshed any longer. You weren't even there when she died. So don't blame me for taking him away. You did it yourself." She shoved him away from her and started walking away.

Cid glared after her. "Be careful princess. The only reason I have spared your life is because of my son's ridiculous infatuation with you."

She walked into their room and slammed the door shut behind her.

"What's wrong?" Balthier asked as he sat up on the bed.

Marina glared at him. "You son of a bitch. You gave him the coordinates didn't you? That's where we're going."

Balthier sighed. "If I didn't give them the coordinates they would have killed you."

"And what about being captured on Naboo? Did you have something to do with that too?" she challenged.

He hesitated.

Marina glared hard at him. "You bastard. So how long have you been working for your father?" she spat.

"I-" but he was cut off when a guard entered the room. "We're there" he announced.

--

They had landed without any trouble but the planet had an aura about it that reminded Balthier and Marina of Black Death Forest back on Andor. It was as if death was so powerful you could touch it. General Mattis ordered a few men to walk ahead and cut away anything that got in their way.

The planet was made up of some forest but mostly large grassy hills made up the landscape. But the forest that was there was eerie. The trees were large and covered with moss. You couldn't see a small hint of the sky if you looked for it. The mountain range in the far away distance looked more like a holographic image than reality.

They climbed hills for hours and it wasn't until two hours after the sun had set did they finally make camp. Marina had refused to walk behind Balthier and she refused to be made to sleep near him. The soldiers and General Mattis found it humorous while Cid and Balthier found it typical. Balthier's mother, Christine, had been equally stubborn in her younger years.

Cid remembered the days before his beloved wife's health had begun to fail, with a smile and a heavy heart. Balthier glanced at his father and saw him staring at the fire with a sad smile. Balthier knew what he was thinking about and looked away. He refused to believe Cid had ever cared. That night, only the soldiers slept well.

**

* * *

Im am so sorry it took so long!! School just got hectic all of the sudden. It's getting close to the end so hang in there everybody (and self)! **


	13. Father and Son

**Father and Son**

Two days passed uneventfully as the party of eight soldiers, one general, one king, and two pirates, trecked across many hills and valleys to find the weapon that could destroy entire planets. During those two days hardly anyone spoke. But on the third day, Balthier approached Marina.

"Marina will you let me explain myself?"

Marina looked at him as if he were the most stupid person in the galaxy but Balthier held his ground. "Balthier you betrayed me. You've been working for your father this entire time. Who knows, you could've been working for him since the day we ran away together. Now what makes you think that I would believe a word you say to me?" She turned her back to him and began walking away.

"Because..." this was the most difficult thing for Balthier to say "I love you." Marina stopped in her tracks as she heard those three little words she had been dying to hear but never thought she would. Balthier continued. "And yes I may have kept things from you but I have _never_ lied to you. And now I am asking for the chance to explain what happened."

Marina turned back around to look at him. She couldn't find the strength to speak so she just nodded. Balthier motioned for her to sit, which they did. "A few years ago my father contacted me and tried to make amends. I didn't want to listen. We didn't speak again until he found out about this damn weapon. He said that if I found the location of the planet for him he wouldn't finish what he started with your family."

"So your saying you've been working for your father because he threatened to kill me?" Balthier nodded. Marina smiled and kissed him softly. "I'm sorry for being so stubborn." Balthier just smiled at her. One of his favorite qualities about her was her stubbornness.

"All right children your make-out session is over. Time to get moving." Mattis told them.

Marina stood up and punched Mattis square in the jaw. Many started to chuckle quietly. Marina swirled around and kicked Mattis backwards. "I am NOT a child" she spat.

The general looked at her, appalled. She ignored him and walked on. Balthier stood up and followed her. The company started back on their trail. Balthier left Marina's side to walk beside his father. "How do you know where you're going?"

Cid smiled and handed Balthier a rolled up map. "I thought you might ask that."

Balthier unrolled the map to find a map of the hills they were traveling across. A river lay ahead of them and then, in the side of the mountains behind a waterfall, a cave was circled. "How did you come to possess this?"

Cid smiled sadly. "Your grandfather gave it to me. A long time ago." Balthier sighed and rolled the map back up. "Son, I want you to consider naming yourself prince again."

"You mean you want me to forgive you" Balthier clarified.

Cid shook his head. "No. I would never ask that of you. I just want to die knowing that my worlds are going to be left in good hands. Your hands."

Balthier shook his head. "What happened to you? All you care about now is your damned country."

"Is that such a bad thing? For a king to care about his country and it's people?"

"No its not a bad thing but it doesn't mean you have to forget all about your family! Your family should be the most important thing to you."

Cid grabbed Balthier's shirt collar in his fists. "Don't you dare say that you and your mother were not the most important things in the galaxy to me because you were! And you still are!"

"Then why weren't you there when she died?!" Balthier shoved his hands away and went back to Marina's side. She took his hand and held it gently in her own.

Cid turned away stubbornly and continued to lead the party. They camped at sunset about a few miles from the river. They would reach it by lunch break tomorrow and the cave by sunset.

Marina knew Balthier didn't want to talk about it so she just held him through the night far away from his father.


	14. Apologies

**Apologies**

True to Cid's word, the party reached the river by noon. If you hadn't looked up to find the sun, however, you would never had known it was noon. The sky remained the same grayish blue color all throughout the day which made it almost impossible to guess the time.

By now, Marina had won the hearts of the soldiers with her kindness and playful charm. She served them their lunch and sat with them in their wide circle.

Balthier decided to sit alone to think but he hadn't even started on his thoughts before his father sat beside him. Cid noticed how Balthier chose to ignore him and keep his eyes on Marina. "You know...she'd make a beautiful queen. And she is royalty after all so she already knows-"

Balthier cut him off. "Marina would die before she became Queen of Endor."

"But why? She has been so blind with hatred for me that she has not noticed that her people are prospering like never before. They live in peace and hold no hatred for me. She should too."

Balthier finally turned to look at him. "You ordered her and her family killed. Did you forget that detail?"

"I ordered no such thing. I ordered that they should be brought before me so that we may speak of a truce. I was told they were killed in the crossfire and was enraged with the news."

Normally Balthier would not believe Cid but he saw the truth in the eyes so very much like his own. He sighed and looked at Marina. Cid looked at her as well. "I see now why she hates me so much. But I swear to you I had nothing to do with her family being murdered." Balthier knew that Marina deserved to know the truth but how was he supposed to tell her?

--

After eating the party crossed the hip deep river and moved on towards the mountains. As the sun was setting the small company reached the waterfall. As the soldiers began to sit down to rest, Balthier approached his father. "Something puzzles me. We were told all of these villages and people were destroyed but we have come across nothing that looks like ruins" he said quietly so only Cid could hear.

"Your grandfather told me these people generally lived in the forests and mountains. We've been traveling across nothing but hills so that would explain why we haven't seen anything." Balthier nodded and turned to walk away but Cid grabbed his arm. "For whatever it's worth son, I didn't mean to hurt you or your mother and I regret more than anything that I did." Balthier nodded once as a silent 'thank you' and went to sit beside Marina.

"So how are you doing?" she asked when he sat down.

"I'm fine. I feel...unsure about a lot of things but I'll figure it out."

Marina smiled. "I know you will."

--

The next morning the party walked carefully beneath the waterfall. No one liked the idea of walking down a long dark tunnel soaking wet but they didn't really have a choice. The company's footsteps echoed loudly off the rock walls. The soldiers pulled some magic powered lamps from the supply bags and handed them out.

Once the four lamps were lit they realized that the cave they were in was a half of a mile wide and stretched on into the darkness ahead of them. Unsure of what they would find, everyone walked forward in silence. They walked for an hour before they were stopped by a dead end.

"Maybe we missed a turn off" Mattis suggested.

Cid ignored him and began to examine the wall. After ten minutes of searching Cid found a small keyhole in the wall. He turned to Balthier and Marina. "You wouldn't happen to have a key with you, would you?"

Marina looked at Balthier and he nodded. She took the key out of her pocket and walked forward. She put the key in and everyone held their breath as she turned it.


	15. Obstacles

**Obstacles**

The key clicked. Everyone still held their breath until one of the soldiers pointed out the obvious. "Nothings happening."

Cid looked at the soldier with a 'duh' expression. "We must be missing something. Maybe we're supposed to say something?" Marina suggested. Balthier shrugged and stared at the key. "Let go of the key" Cid said suddenly.

Marina looked at her hand and realized that it was still holding the key. She let it go and still nothing happened. "Maybe you didn't turn it all the way" Balthier said. Cid took the key and tried turning it farther but it wouldn't budge.

"Let me try" Balthier said. Cid let go of the key and stepped back. He grasped it with both hands, expecting there to be resistance, but there wasn't. The key easily turned another 1/8 of an inch and clicked again. Then the stone wall in front of them began to slide away into the wall. Everyone looked at Balthier but Balthier was too busy staring into the room ahead to notice.

The room was circular and dimly lit with the same unknown magic that had kept the torches lit in the Temple of Naboo. But there were no torches here. Just a dim light.

Cid and Balthier were the first to move forward. Marina was next to closely follow Balthier and the soldiers reluctantly followed Marina.

The walls near the back were lined with rounded book shelves that were stacked with scrolls. They seemed to be organized alphabetically but it was a language that had been lost long ago. In the center of the room, a scroll that looked just as normal as the rest, was suspended five feet above the floor.

Cid turned to his soldiers. He pointed to one and said, "You. Try to grasp that scroll." The soldier swallowed nervously. "B-b-but my lord-" Balthier cut into the soldier's nervous stammering with something that sounded more like a command than a suggestion. "I'll do it."

Marina grabbed his arm. "But Balthier... you don't know what could be protecting that thing." He smiled gently at her. "I'll be fine. I promise." He took her hand gently in his own and detached it from his arm.

Balthier turned towards the scroll and approached it cautiously. He was about ten feet from the scroll when he stopped. "What's wrong?" Cid and Marina asked together. Balthier reached his hand up and touched it against an invisible gel-like wall. Ripples moved out from underneath Balthier's hand and over the whole wall. As the ripples moved across the wall, the party could see that the scroll was protected from all sides.

Marina walked up to stand beside him. Balthier took his hand away and the ripples immediately stopped. Marina raised her hand up and touched the force field. It felt like thick, clear water was sliding out from your palm and under your fingers. "It's amazing" Marina said breathlessly. "I know" Balthier agreed as he raised his hand back up and went to touch it again.

Only this time his and Marina's hands went through as if the wall no longer affected them. Not daring to waste the oppurtunity, they walked completely through and stood before the scroll. Everyone stared at it for several long minutes.

Finally, Balthier spoke. "Who do you think should pick it up?"

Marina stared at it, concentrating. She kept hearing faint voices in her head as if the scroll was trying to speak to her. She reached her hand towards it and the voices became louder and merged into one.

"Marina don't!" Balthier went to grab her wrist but it was too late.

Wind burst out of nowhere and circled around Marina if she was the source. With the scroll in one hand, she closed her eyes and spread her arms out wide. She was lifted three feet off the floor as her raven black hair lengthened until it reached the small of her back. It swirled gently around her as if caressing her like a lover. Her clothing changed from that of a pirate to that of a princess. A thin floor-length dress that resembled an extinct Egyptian style billowed gently against her and her pirate boots were replaced with thin sandals. A beautiful golden necklace appeared around her neck.

Suddenly, she turned her head up as if to look at the sky and power that resembled blue electricity moved from the scroll and across her body. It only took a couple of seconds and the scroll disappeared and the wind stopped but she still remained suspended in the air with her arms out wide and her head turned upward.

Balthier stared up at her. She was beautiful and all he could have ever wanted before. But now it seemed as though power rested inside her like a beast and it made her seem beautiful but deadly. "Marina?" he asked cautiously.

Her head tilted down and her eyes snapped open. They were still ice blue but now a dark blue mist swirled around in slow circles inside her eyes. She stared at Balthier as if looking through his soul and then her eyes softened slightly.

"You have come. Just as you promised." Her voice echoed softly off the stone walls. It was raspy and demonic and full of power. And it held you with a power that made you never want to refuse anything it said. "And just as I promised, all of the spells are here. But first...you must remember."


	16. The Carrier and the Caster

**The Carrier and the Caster**

"Edward!" a small voice similar to Marina's said. It was a five year old running towards him.

Then it blurred and he was lying on top of her in a large bed. They appeared to be in their late teens. "I love you" she told him. "I love you too" he said back. It blurred again....

"We must evacuate the people we can!" Senator Joseph shouted. Everyone agreed. "But what of the spells?" someone asked. "My daughter." Everyone quieted as the high priest spoke. "My daughter is The Carrier. We will seal her and her power into a newborn child. The Caster's memories will be sealed into his soul and his soul shall be sealed into a newborn as well. The High Priest has spoken. Do as I will." All of their heads bowed as the vision blurred and he was looking at Marina again. But now he remembered her as Marianna, Princess of Melekos and as Marina, Ex-Princess of Endor IV / pirate.

Unlike her, his appearence hadn't changed except for his eyes. They were no longer the hazel brown she had grown to love. They were a vibrant green full of life and power. Marianna loved her Edward so. But she wasn't just Marianna anymore just as he was no longer just her Edward.

The two lovers were merely the souls of who they once were. They couldn't take over their host's bodies but they could pass on their memories and power and through that, they knew their love would survive. They had waited a century to be reunited and at last their dreams had come true.

Edward touched her cheek softly and she leaned into his hand. "I think it's time we left these two alone, my love" he said softly. Marianna smiled. "Yes. It's their time now." Edward lowered his hand to grasp hers tightly and together their souls passed on into the next life.

When the white light that had suddenly enveloped Balthier and Marina disappeared, so did the barrier around the scroll. Balthier was lying on the floor with Marina secured tightly in his arms.

Cid ran to them and shook his Balthier's shoulders. "Son!"

Balthier groaned and cracked his eyes open. Cid sucked in a breath as he saw his son's new eye color. Marina moaned as she sat up. She rubbed her eyes sleepily and smiled innocently at Balthier. The new dark blue that encircled the ice in her eyes was strangely familiar to a distant part of Balthier.

Cid helped Balthier sit up. "What happened?" Cid asked. Balthier hesitated. "Uhm...It's a little difficult to explain." He looked at Marina as if asking for help.

"To put it simply... I hold the power of all of these scrolls you see" Marina said as she indicated the thousands of organized scrolls against the back wall.

"And I am the only one that can take her power and form a spell with it. But she has to give me her permission to do so" Balthier added.

Many of the soldiers mouths had fallen open but Cid had an unreadable expression on his face that Balthier didn't recognize but Marina did. It was the kind of expression that only a parent could make when they were worried that their child wasn't as healthy as he claimed he was or appeared to be. Cid embraced his son tightly. "I thought I'd lost you for real this time. I'm sorry I wasn't there when she died I just couldn't bring myself to watch her die and I powerless to stop it. I didn't want her to die alone but I knew she had you. It was only afterward that I realized that that was the most horrible thing I could have ever done to both of you and I regret it with every breath I take."

Balthier was too stunned to speak as his father spilled his guts. Balthier would never forgive him for leaving him alone to watch his mother die and then ignoring him as much as possible after her death. But knowing that Cid had cared about them in his own strange way and that he lived with the guilt of his mistakes every day of his life was enough to allow Balthier to get along with him in a civilized manner.

Cid pulled away from him after a silent minute and stood. He turned to his soldiers. "Lets get moving. We'll make camp by the river again."

Balthier and Marina stood up. "What are we going to do about the scrolls?" Balthier asked.

"I'll send a ship and some envoys back to retrieve them all. For now, we've had a long trip and everyone is exhausted."

Balthier nodded and the three began to follow the group of soldiers out of the cave.


	17. Three Months Later

**Three Months Later**

Marina stretched out her body on Balthier's large more-comfortable-than-possible bed with smile on her face. It didn't take her long to locate her new husband since she had quickly learned that the balcony of their room was one of his favorite places. Especially in the morning and just before sunset. He liked to watch the people in the city move about their business.

She came up behind him and wrapped her arms around him. "Can we go flying today?" she asked. Balthier smiled a little. "I promised didn't I?" She smiled and kissed him lightly on the shoulder. "But first we have to have breakfast with Cid." He turned and went to their large closet to get dressed.

Balthier and Cid had become closer over the last few months. They had silently understood that Balthier would never forgive Cid but that didn't mean he had to hate him for it. Cid hated himself enough for the both of them. Marina only hoped that eventually Balthier would call him father.

"Morning Cid" Marina said cheerfully before she pecked him on the cheek.

Cid raised an eyebrow. "You're in a good mood this morning."

"We're going flying today" she said happily.

Cid nodded as if he understood. "Well don't forget, you two, that the ambassador of Naboo is arriving tomorrow and we must be ready to meet her."

Marina smiled. "I like her."

Balthier rolled his eyes. "That's just because she told you that it's a boy, which I don't believe."

Marina rolled her eyes. "Thats just because you refuse to believe you weren't man enough to make a girl first. But don't worry, honey. You're new at this whole making babies thing. Maybe by the third or fourth time you'll have it down pretty good and make a girl."

Cid laughed heartily while Balthier glared at Marina. "Keep down talking me the way you are you better hope I don't find someone else to carry my children."

Marina rolled her eyes.

"You should be proud of yourself, son. Having a boy first has many advantages. One of the major ones is that he will protect his younger sisters." Cid said after having calmed down.

Balthier chose not to say anything since he knew he was just being teased. It still stunned him how often Cid and Marina ganged up to pick on him. How the hell did he end up stuck in the middle?

--

Later that night...

"What do you think we should name him?" Marina asked softly.

"I don't know. But I think his middle name should be Valantir after your father."

Marina smiled. "I was actually thinking of naming Ffamran since you go by Balthier now. It would be kind of like naming him after you... only not."

Balthier smiled proudly. "I like that idea."

Marina chuckled. "I thought you would." She had been rubbing the little bump on her stomach absentmindedly until Balthier stilled it by laying his on top of hers. She smiled at him and pecked his lips. "I love you." He kissed her cheek and sighed. "I love you too."

--

Balthier and Marina never used their new powers for destruction but they were a great help around the house for little things. Balthier succeeded his father to the throne of Endor and the system lived on prosperously.

Cidolfus Bunansa died a content and happy man at the age of 211. He was considered as one of the greatest kings in the galaxy and people honored him for bringing Endor and it's moons together.

Balthier and Marina had thirteen children in their long lifetime. They had eight beautiful and stubborn girls and five proud, strong, and very protective boys. The Bunansa bloodline flourished and still has not yet died out even today.

**The End.**


	18. Author Note

Im working on a werewolfxhuman story but I can't decide who I want to star in it so I need your votes!

Vane and Bride from the Dark-Hunter series

or

Ichigo and Rukia from Bleach.

Leave a review casting your vote PLEASE!!! I need help! I can't decide!


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